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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23672938">The Hero's Sister</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSOLDIERway/pseuds/TheSOLDIERway'>TheSOLDIERway</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure &amp; Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:48:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23672938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSOLDIERway/pseuds/TheSOLDIERway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>All children grow up with the stories of the great super soldiers of the Shinra Electric Company, and Senna was no different. She joined SOLDIER shortly after her brother, wanting nothing more than to help the people who needed it, protect the weak, and be an honorable member of SOLDIER. Not all is as it seems, though. Shinra holds many secrets, and she finds herself in the middle of one of the darkest secrets in Shinra history.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cloud Strife/OC, Cloud Strife/Original Character(s), Cloud Strife/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Trouble Maker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the elevator doors opened to the SOLDIER floor of the Shinra building, I carefully walked out the doors and slid along the wall. Every noise around me was a possible death sentence. The chuckles of the 3rd classes from the lounge area and the scientists coming in and out of the Materia Room told me where I could and couldn’t go. Right now, nobody could see me, not until I made it to-</p>
<p>“Hey, Sen.” </p>
<p>My heart leaped as I turned behind me.</p>
<p>“Kunsel!” I harshly whispered, “You scared the hell out of me!”</p>
<p>Turning away from him, I peered around a corner, making sure the coast was clear. Kunsel carefully looked over my shoulder.</p>
<p>“What are we looking for?” He whispered.</p>
<p>I slapped him away from my back as I watched the door to the Briefing Room. He leaned against the wall and chuckled.</p>
<p>“I get it now.” He quietly laughed.</p>
<p>I turned back to him and huffed.</p>
<p>“And what would that be?” I asked.</p>
<p>“You’re avoiding someone.” He said as he poked my forehead. </p>
<p>“Nooo..” I said with heavy sarcasm, “I’m not avoiding anybody.”</p>
<p>“Mmhmm..” He crossed his arms over his chest and half smiled at me. I scoffed and lightly pushed him away from me.</p>
<p>“Don’t you have more important things to do right now? You just got promoted to 2nd right? Go.. I don't know, train or something. Help an old lady cross the street.” </p>
<p>I peered back around the corner as he chuckled again.</p>
<p>“You say that like you’re not a 2nd class yourself.” </p>
<p>I turned back to him, my black hair laying over my shoulder with the fast movement. “Not for long! Any day now they’re gonna promote me to 1st! I can feel it.” </p>
<p>Yes, I am a SOLDIER 2nd class. One of few women who are lucky enough to make it into the program. Most of my starting group didn’t survive the mako infusion, but those of us who did count ourselves lucky every day. Just because we survived, though, doesn’t mean we’re treated any better. SOLDIER is made up of mostly men, big headed men who think that the world should bow at their feet. Some of those men don’t like the fact that women were allowed to join now, and most loathe that some of us were promoted to 2nd class. For the years I’ve been here, I’ve worked harder so that I could make it to 1st class. There’s only been one woman who has achieved the honor of being promoted to 1st class, and I strive everyday to make it to her level. While most dream of being the best of the best like Sephiroth, I dream of one day fighting alongside Petra Rogue. </p>
<p>Kunsel clapped my shoulder, a wide smile on his face, “Whatever you say, Senna. I gotta go, but good luck avoiding whoever you’re avoiding.” </p>
<p>“Have fun helping the elderly cross the street.” </p>
<p>He laughed and waved as he walked down the hallway where I had come from. I decided that the coast was clear enough, and carefully made my way to the Briefing Room. All I had to do was log my latest mission as complete and be on my way. Stupid simple, so long as I could avoid him. With a short exhale, I pushed the button to open the door.</p>
<p>“Ah!” I yelled as I fell on my butt from shock.</p>
<p>“Avoiding me, were you?” </p>
<p>My brother, Zack Fair, stood in front of me. Arms crossed across his chest, he looked down at me with disapproval across his face. I stood up and immediately started stumbling over my words as I tried to blurt out an excuse to him. </p>
<p>“No excuses, Sen.” He scolded, “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been? You were only supposed to be gone for a day or two, remember?”</p>
<p>“Yeah well.. I ran into some trouble.” I squeezed past him into the room where I logged my number into the computer. He was right behind me the entire time, going on about how I should have called him.</p>
<p>“It was totally reckless what you did.”</p>
<p>“Calm down, bro. I made it back in one piece and I totally owned my mission.” I said as I returned my borrowed materia to the lockers. </p>
<p>“Totally owning your mission isn’t pissing off the locals by leading a pack of angry hounds into their streets.” He replied bluntly.</p>
<p>“It was a minor issue! And I killed them all anyway with no casualties to the villagers.”</p>
<p>I folded my hands in front of me and worked up some crocodile tears to complete the full effect of my puppy eyes.</p>
<p>“Forgive me please.” I sniffed.</p>
<p>Zack’s face tightened as he fought the urge to give in to my best move. Being the youngest gives me the advantage of forever having control over my older brother with my signature puppy dog eyes. I’ve always gotten my way with these shining baby blues, and Zack could never resist being angry with me for too long. After a moment of silence, he let out a long sigh and relaxed his shoulders. </p>
<p>“Fine.. I forgive you.”</p>
<p>I laughed in triumph and tackled him in a hug, making him laugh along with me. </p>
<p>“Y’know, Sen. One of these days those puppy eyes aren’t going to work on me. You’re getting too old to use them anyway.” </p>
<p>I scoffed, “Oh please. You’re <strong>never</strong> too old for puppy eyes. I’ll use them on you until the day you die.”</p>
<p>He tensed in surprise, “Until the day <em>I die?!</em> What makes you think I’m gonna go before you?”</p>
<p>I skipped my way to the door and winked back at him before I walked out, “Because you’re the ancient one here, big brother.”</p>
<p>Before he could say anything else, I shut the door on him and continued skipping down the hallway, humming happily to myself. I’m not sure what I was so worried about before, everything seemed to be going well for me. At least that’s what I thought until the door to the Training Room opened, as I was confronted by a stone faced silver haired man. All my anxiety came rushing back as Sephiroth stood in front of me, arms crossed, and green eyes staring blankly at me. Zack I could handle any day of the week, but Sephiroth…</p>
<p>“Welcome back, Senna.” He said calmly, too calmly. I knew that tone.</p>
<p>“I’m in trouble.. Aren’t I?” I said as I avoided his stare. </p>
<p>He only nodded and gestured to the Training Room. Slumping my shoulders, I walked into the room like a school kid getting detention. </p>
<p>You see, the 1st Class SOLDIER’s are allowed to take on students if they choose to. Not all of them do, but some are gracious enough to choose one or more 2nd Class recruits to train with the hopes that they’ll make it to 1st Class. Another reason why most of the guys in SOLDIER aren’t a big fan of mine is that Sephiroth chose me, and only me, to train with him. I asked him once why it was just me who got to go under his wing, but all he told me was he wasn’t a fan of crowds. </p>
<p>He followed behind me into the Training Room to log my punishment into the computer simulator. I grabbed a headset from the wall and walked into the simulator. Sephiroth’s normal training was enough to exhaust me for days, but punishment training was worse. Always so much worse. He stood outside the glass, that stern look still on his face. I took a deep breath before putting on the headset and getting thrown into whatever fresh hell he had set up for me. </p>
<p>Going into a simulation is disorienting at first. It’s a mess of flashing lights and then you’re in the virtual setting. Your brain just needs a second to rationalize what just happened. I find that closing your eyes while the program starts makes the situation easier. </p>
<p>The virtual settings always seemed too real. Before I opened my eyes, I could smell damp air, feel the cool chill on my skin, and hear the drip drops of moisture hitting rocks. My simulation was in a cave. I hate caves. I rubbed my arms to try and keep myself warm as I wandered around the dimly lit caverns. If Sephiroth put me in a cave, that means I was in for a world of hurt from whatever monster, or monsters, he put in here with me. </p>
<p>“Please don’t be a Tonberry.. Please don’t be a Tonberry.”</p>
<p>I encountered a few Allemagne here and there while I traveled the maze. He was making this purposefully easy for me. </p>
<p>“How about a hint, Sephiroth.” My voice echoed through the cave, “It’s the least you could do.”</p>
<p>Silence from his end. I sighed, and kept moving forward. Sliding between wet rocks and ducking under limestone formations. The ground beneath me rumbled, dust from the rocks above fell over me.</p>
<p><em>“Better run.”</em> I heard in my ear. The only warning Sephiroth would give me. </p>
<p>Then I heard it. The shifting and cracking of the walls around me as they started to cave in. My heart pounded as I started running, searching for an opening to get to. I jumped over large ravines as everything came down around me. Large rocks crashed to the ground, making me almost lose my balance as they rumbled the ground. My lungs burned as I struggled to breathe in the dust filled air. </p>
<p><em>Where is it?!</em> I mentally screamed. </p>
<p>A quick flash of light caught my attention. To my left was a hole in the wall, big enough for me to fit through. I let out a quick huff of excitement as I sprinted to it and jumped through. I hit the ground hard. There would definitely be some bruises from this venture for sure. Sweat dripped off my nose as I looked behind me to the hole. It was sealed shut by the cave in. With a deep breath, I sprawled out on the ground. I needed a second to recuperate. The ground shook beneath me again, and a low growl filled the area. Slowly, I opened my eyes and strained my neck backwards to look at the approaching enemy. Out of the shadows came a Behemoth. It’s white eyes glowing in the dim light, horns almost luminescent. I only stared at it as it stalked towards me. Another growl caught my attention as, not one, but two Behemoths krept out of the shadows after the other one. Still, I didn’t move. Using only my eyes, I surveyed the area around me. Mostly shadow due to the lack of light from a small hole above, but it seemed big enough for a showdown.<br/>
The first Behemoth lunged at me, sharp claws glinting in the light. Moving fast, I jumped to my feet and flipped over the three monsters, landing behind them. They turned to me and roared in unison. Drawing my sword from my back, I pointed the blade at them.</p>
<p>“Let’s dance.” I smiled. </p>
<p>--------------------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>As the last Behemoth fell to the ground with a fading roar, I stabbed my sword into the ground and leaned on it to keep myself from falling over as well. My limbs shook as they struggled to keep me up. The cave around me faded and in an instant, I was back in the simulation room. A green banner appeared in front of me as the headset screen read Mission Complete. I groaned and allowed myself to fall backwards onto the hard metal floor of the Training Room. My chest heaved up and down as I struggled to catch my breath. I was covered in sweat and budding bruises. Any scratches or dirt marks I got in the cave faded away with the simulation. I took off the headset and threw it away from me, not caring if it got broken at all when it hit the ground. Shinra could take it out of my paycheck. </p>
<p>The door opened and Sephiroth stood in front of me. He looked down at my exhausted form, his face always that blank expression. I weakly held up my arm and gave him a thumbs up. </p>
<p>“Not bad.” I huffed, “Coulda done without the goring though. Felt like it broke some ribs.”</p>
<p>“Hm.” Sephiroth huffed as his own kind of chuckle, “Here, drink this.”</p>
<p>He handed me a container full of pale blue liquid. I scowled at the drink.</p>
<p>“You know I hate this stuff..” I moaned. </p>
<p>He shrugged and turned to the door, “Then stay on the ground and have Hojo use you as his new test dummy. He’s scheduled to be in here soon.”</p>
<p>Without hesitation, I screwed open the cap and chucked down the potion. It was thick and chalky, with a taste almost like rotten spinach. I choked down every swallow as the potion warmed my body and healed my strained muscles. I got to my feet and handed Sephiroth the empty bottle.</p>
<p>“I much prefer Hi-Potions. They taste better.” I said.</p>
<p>“If you want one of those, I can restart the simulation and you can stay here all night fighting Behemoths.” </p>
<p>“Or ya know.. I could not and we can go on our merry way and talk about it tomorrow.” </p>
<p>Sephiroth smirked and walked out the door. He wasn’t much of a joker, always so serious and to the point. But he’s helped me a lot and if it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I would have made it much longer in SOLDIER. I shook off the physical strain in my neck and shoulders. Walking out of the Training Room, I took a sharp left to the bathroom. Shinra likes to keep a tight circle as far as SOLDIER goes. Most of the men choose to keep their uniform on at all times, but us female recruits were required to not leave the building in our uniform. They tell us it’s for safety reasons, but I’m 90% sure that is a bold faced lie. Our eyes were almost always a dead give away to who we were. Also, if they were so worried about us leaving in our uniforms, the least management could do is give us a locker room or something. Changing out of this uniform and into regular street clothes in a bathroom stall is more than annoying to say the least. </p>
<p>After stripping off the many belts and buckles that keep my sword in place on my back, I used them to strap the rest of my uniform together, which I would then store in a shoulder pack that I kept in one of my item pouches. I couldn’t wait until I made 1st so that I wouldn’t be forced to wear this god awful attire anymore. My street clothes were much more comfortable, and a few months ago I had put together an outfit that would be suitable as a 1st Class SOLDIER uniform, while also being discrete enough to use as regular street clothes. Until then though, I would just have to live with changing in the bathroom into my usual maroon cropped halter top and black knee length cargo shorts. </p>
<p>“Ahh..much better.” I sighed in relief as I finger brushed some loose knots in my shoulder length black hair. </p>
<p>“Clocking out for the day too?” </p>
<p>Looking towards the door, I smiled at the girl who walked in. Myrna started in the same group as me when we all signed up for SOLDIER. She was still a 3rd Class, but we still stayed friends even though I got promoted before she did. </p>
<p>“You know it.” I replied as she walked into a stall to change, “I thought you were gonna be on guard duty with the Infantrymen tonight?”</p>
<p>I leaned against the sink while she dropped the buckles of her uniform to the ground. </p>
<p>“Change in plan. I’m being shipped out on a mission tomorrow afternoon.” She said with a fair amount of excitement in her voice. Being sent out of Midgar for a mission while still being 3rd Class was a big deal, and a possible sign of a promotion coming soon.</p>
<p>“What a lucky dog you are.” I laughed, “Where they sending you? Recon in Wutai?”</p>
<p>She scoffed and pushed open the stall door, her uniform wrapped in a messy bundle in her arms. </p>
<p>“I couldn’t be that lucky. No, they're sending me to a reactor to play bodyguard for some scientists studying the materia there. Hardly a job worthy of my skills, but whatever gets me out of Midgar for a day or two.” </p>
<p>She dropped her heap on the countertop and fixed some stray red hairs coming loose from her ponytail. Myrna was a beautiful girl. Why she wanted to join SOLDIER was always a mystery to me. She could have easily made her fame and fortune on Loveless Avenue in Sector 8. The men around here always top and take a second look at her, whether their other SOLDIER members or office staff. </p>
<p>“I heard you stirred up some trouble on your latest mission. Weren’t you supposed to just trap some of the hounds and bring them back for the Security Department to train?”</p>
<p>“I brought one back.” I shrugged, “Besides, they already have like.. Fifty hounds down there. I doubt losing six would make a difference. If they wanted more, they should have to go catch them themselves.”</p>
<p>Myrna laughed and stuffed her bundled uniform into a backpack. “That would mean that they’d have to put some actual work in besides waltzing around carrying their guns all day. But whatever. I’m heading home to get some grub and prepare for my outing tomorrow. Catch ya later Senna.” </p>
<p>“Later Myrna. Good luck on guard duty.” </p>
<p>She left the bathroom with a quick peace sign. I washed my face off with some hot water before I left to retreat back to the elevator. Soon as the door closed behind me, my phone started buzzing.</p>
<p>“Senna here.” I answered.</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s almost midnight. Where are you?”</em>
</p>
<p>“I think we need to have a conversation about boundaries, Zack. You’re smothering me.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Sorry, Sen, but also not sorry. I promised mom and pop that I’d look after you and that’s what I’m doing.”</em>
</p>
<p>I pushed the button for the elevator and listened to the dings it made as it came down from the upper floors.</p>
<p>“And you’re doing a great job, big brother, but I’m a 2nd class just like you are. I can take care of myself you know. I’m not a kid anymore.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“You’re always gonna be my kid sister. Now get home please. The infantrymen are strict on curfews with this group Avalanche roaming around.”</em>
</p>
<p>I smiled and rolled my eyes, “You got it bro. Be home soon.”</p>
<p>I hung up and slipped my phone into my pocket as the elevator doors opened. Hands behind his back and the usual scowl on his face, Professor Hojo stood between me and the open elevator. </p>
<p>“SOLDIER 2nd Class, Senna Fair. Hmm.” He mumbled to himself. “How was your mission?”</p>
<p>“Uh..f-fine. Excuse me.” </p>
<p>I walked around him and into the elevator, pushing the button for the lobby floor. Before the doors could close, Hojo put his hand on the side, keeping them open. </p>
<p>“Before you go,” He said, “I might ask that you volunteer for a simulation that I’m working on. Having a female SOLDIER test might be useful for my research data.”</p>
<p>“...Yeah. I’ll um.. I’ll think about it.”</p>
<p>He let go of the door and stood there as they closed. A shiver went up my spine when he was no longer in front of me. He always gave me the creeps. We never saw much of him on the SOLDIER floor, only when he wanted to use our Training Room. You’d think that with the budget Shinra gave him that he would have at least three of his own simulators to test his experiments with. The rumor is that he’s looking for SOLDIER members to test on and use as experiments. I hoped that it was just a rumor, but with his appearance down here and knowing my name.. I’m starting to think that the rumors might be true. </p>
<p>“Creep..”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. No Use Crying Over...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>I try to get the last drops of hope</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Like honey from a jar</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It looks hopeless and empty from afar</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But I persist</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Resist the urge to throw the jar away entirely</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <b>
      <em>Chapter 2: No Use Crying Over... </em>
    </b>
  </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Walking out the doors of the Shinra building, you would never think that it was almost one o’clock in the morning. The streets were alive with vehicles heading back and forth from their destinations, street lamps buzzing with the electric current flowing through them, and the buildings in the distance were lit up from top to bottom. Whatever stars should be visible now were blocked out by the light pollution of the city that never sleeps. Sometimes I missed being in the backwoods of Gongaga. The moon and the stars shining down on our little spec in the world made for a beautiful view that not even the best painters could ever capture with a brush. I’ve always been meaning to try and get a day or two to go and visit mine and Zack’s parents, but training and missions have been keeping me busy day and night. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I turned from the busy streets, Shinra kept the SOLDIER members who didn’t want to live in the building close by in apartment complexes. In case we were needed for an emergency. They weren’t luxurious apartments. Even though those who think they know anything and everything about Shinra would tell you differently. No no no. We didn’t live in poverty, but we also didn’t live in luxury either. Our living arrangements were a simple two bedroom apartment in a duplex. We had one bathroom, a small kitchen with enough room for a two chair table to be tucked in a corner, and a decent sized living room with cable hook ups. Simple living for super soldiers that hardly spent any time at home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Our street was quiet, except for the constant buzz of the street lamps. No pedestrians wandering about, taking pictures or gossiping on their phones. Only a few motorbikes parked on the curb. Most likely belonging to the few 1st Class that live here. You never knew who was home, who was out on a mission, who had the night shift, or which apartment just didn’t have anyone at all. To keep what peace we had around here, Zack and I had developed a simple way of letting the other know we were home. The only door on the ground floor that had the porch light on was ours. If it was off, then one of us wasn’t home. I pulled my keys out of the front pocket of my bag and unlocked the door. Zack was lounging on the only piece of furniture we had in our living room, an old grey loveseat. We pilfered it from the junk pile a few months ago when a neighboring apartment was being cleaned out. It slightly smelled of mold and dust, but it worked fine for relaxing for a few minutes after a long day. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I kicked my boots off and jumped over the back of the couch, landing directly on top of Zack. He tensed with a very loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>ooof</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m home!” I sang, “Did you miss me?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. Now get off me.” He groaned. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I hit the ground with a </span>
  <b>thump</b>
  <span> as I rolled off him. He sat up, clutching his abdomen like he had a broken rib or two. I lightly kicked his shoulder from the floor.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Phew!” Zack exclaimed as he pushed my foot away, “When is the last time you actually took a shower? You reek!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I kicked him again and got off the ground, “I probably smell better than you do. Have you ever heard of soap, or deodorant? It’s late anyway, I’ll just shower in the morning before heading off to work.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t forget. Otherwise they’ll think that a Hedgehog Pie wandered in from the slums.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Laughing like he told the best joke ever, Zack ducked under my socks that I pulled off and threw at him. I retreated into my room, while he continued to laugh like a mad scientist on the couch. My room was as simple as every other room in this apartment. A regular twin size bed with grey bed sheets and one pillow. There was also a short dresser with some street clothes to wear if I was ever blessed with a day off, and a small closet with more clothes and a full body mirror. What else could you need at a place you only spent the night at, sometimes? I tossed my shoulder pack to the corner of the room, and collapsed on my bed. My street clothes were comfortable enough to suffice as pajamas tonight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The morning streets of Midgar were even more crowded than the night. I barely made it across the street without almost getting plowed by a passing delivery truck honking his horn like </span>
  <b>I</b>
  <span> was the asshole in the situation. The important thing was that I made it to work in one piece. The receptionist smiled kindly at me as I approached her desk and presented my access card to clock in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Never get a day off, do you?” She joked and handed me my card back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Only when I’m dead.” I chuckled, “Ain’t no rest for the wicked. Have a good day.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was talk that Shinra was in the works of developing holograms to replace many employees and cut pay costs. Some of the receptionists would talk about it in the break room while they ate their lunch. They had a right to be worried about potentially losing their jobs, I know I would be. Hopefully, for their sake, this hologram development would be years away from being finished, and they could rest easy knowing their jobs would be secure. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before heading to the elevators, I made a pit stop at the company cafe nearby. Getting through the day would be impossible without my daily cup of coffee. The barista greeted me the same as the receptionist, with a kind smile and ready to help with whatever I needed. I gave her my order and waited patiently until it was handed to me. The smell of the dark drink filled my senses and started to perk me up as my caffeine addiction was fed. Only focusing on taking that heavenly first sip, I turned to go to the elevators, failing to notice someone was standing behind me waiting to get their drink as well. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah!” We both shouted as hot coffee spilled over both of us as my paper cup was squashed between our chests. The Infantryman backed up a step, trying to rub the liquid off his uniform before it could burn his skin further.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god!” I shouted as I lunged for the stack of napkins on the closest table. “I am so sorry! That was a total accident, completely my fault! I should have been paying more attention.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I shoveled napkins onto him like the more he had, the more it would help stop the burning. Taking as many as he could fit into his coffee stained hands, he blotted the wet spot on his shirt. He didn’t say a word as I continued to apologize and drown him in napkins. It had now turned into a spectacle, and all the morning employees were staring at us like we were a circus act. Not that I could blame them really, at this point.. We looked ridiculous. At some point, I had run out of napkins to throw at him and was frantically looking around for another stack to toss. He held his hands up to stop me.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry! It’s fine.” He said, “I don’t need any more napkins.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” I panicked, “Gahh.. I’m so so so sooo sorry!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, I promise. Just please… calm down?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was then that I realized a small crowd had gathered around us to watch the show. Heat rushed to my face as I took in the mess around us. Wet and dry napkins </span>
  <em>
    <span>everywhere</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was like a trash can had exploded around us. My shirt was soaked with coffee that was quickly going cold and making my skin sticky. His appearance was not any better than mine. A large coffee stain ran down the front of his uniform and some napkins stuck to him here and there. Thankfully, the gun strapped to his back wasn’t harmed in the fiasco. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh man…” I hid my face in my hands, maybe if I just stopped looking they would all go away. “I’ll pay the drycleaning bill to have your uniform cleaned.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wiped away some remnants of wet napkin, “Don’t worry about it. I was gonna get this thing cleaned soon anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He bypassed me and set a few gil down on the countertop.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Two coffees, extra sugar, and one replacement coffee for the lady over there.” He said with a smile to the barista. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taking his cups, he nodded his head once to me, and walked away without another word. While I waited for my </span>
  <em>
    <span>replacement</span>
  </em>
  <span> coffee, I put it upon myself to clean up the mess I had made around the cafe. All the other employees resumed going about their day, stepping around me as I picked up every napkin I had thrown. Some would whisper to one another about what department the thought I worked in and who to report me to for the nuisance I caused to their morning. I tossed the wasted napkins in the trash and apologized to the barista for the trouble I caused. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No worries.” She laughed, “That was the most excitement I’ve seen at this place since I started here.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She handed me my coffee and I made extra certain that nobody was behind me this time as I turned to the elevators. Maybe it was a good thing that Shinra required us in SOLDIER to not wear our uniforms outside of the building. Otherwise I’d be sticky with dried coffee. Now I felt extra sorry for the Infantryman. I’d have to hunt him down later and make it up to him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I chugged down my coffee in the elevator, not wanting to waste anymore time. Training with Sephiroth always started at 8am </span>
  <b>sharp</b>
  <span>, and it was already 7:45. If I was late, I’d be in for a world of hurt like yesterday night. My muscles were still sore from that program, and I wanted to say goodbye to Myrna before she left on her mission. Once the doors opened, I tossed my empty cup into the trash and speed walked to the bathroom to change into my uniform. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth was waiting for me in the Training Room. He glanced to the clock when I burst in the door, still buckling my shoulder pads on. 8:01am.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re late.” He said without emotion.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha-... by ten seconds!” I exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Late is late, no matter how behind you are.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He held his hand up to stop my retort as I began to explain the fiasco in the cafe.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No excuses.” His eyes turned more serious. I called it </span>
  <em>
    <span>mentor mode</span>
  </em>
  <span> when he looked at me like that. He turned and entered the data into the program simulator. “Start with 500 each to warm up. I hope you didn’t forget your materia from the lockers, it’ll make this simulation a lot easier.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit!</span>
  </em>
  <span> I mentally cursed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I didn’t even think to stop at the Briefing Room!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I couldn’t stop the groan that escaped my throat as I slumped into the simulator. Making sure my sword was securely attached to my back, I started the 500 rep warm up exercises. Squats, push-ups, crunches, burpees, and mountain climbers. Everything was burning, to say the least, when I was finished. Maybe I wouldn’t make it up to that Infantryman when the day was over. The least he coulda done was help me pick up the napkins to save me a few minutes. Before I could rest, Sephiroth entered the simulator and tossed a headset to me. We both secured them to our heads and waited for the program to start. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Gonna be one of those days is it?” I asked him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Every now and then, Sephiroth will enter both of us into a program. The goal of it is to defeat him, while also watching my back for monsters. He started it about four years ago, I have yet to complete it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Opening my eyes while the transition completed, we were in a canyon outside of a desert. Tall rock formations blocked out some of the sun, and gusts of wind picked up the thin layer of sand on the stone ground. Sephiroth held his sword towards me, and vanished out of sight. Thinking fast, I grabbed the handle of my sword and picked it up just enough to block the back of my neck as he made his first attack. I quickly spun around and lunged for him, missing completely and hitting the canyon wall behind him. Using that momentum, I pushed from the wall to block his next attack. Metal clashed on metal, ringing in the air, and making sparks fly with the impact. I played the defense as attack after attack came from him. He was ruthless with his attacks. They were strong and pin pointed right where I showed the most weakness. It was difficult to get an attack on him. I had to be patient, play my defences correctly, until he gave me an opportunity to strike. I fumbled my next step, leaving an enormous opening for any attacker. Sephiroth lunged his blade at me, aimed to kill. I barely got my sword up in time to defer his attack past my face, cutting open my cheek. A drop of blood fell from my jaw onto the blade of his sword as time slowed down. My movements were sluggish, like I was trudging through water. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth smirked as he backed away, his hand glowing yellow with the image of a clock around his fist. That clever bastard.. He knew I would find a way to block his attack and used that opportunity to cast Slow on me. I fought against the spell, cursing myself for not keeping Haste materia with me. In a flash, he was gone again. I didn’t have the speed to block his next attack as I felt a boot hit the square of my back, sending me flying forward and colliding with a boulder. My impact shattered the stone, covering me in small cuts as the fragments sliced through my skin. I hit the ground in a heap. Stabbing my sword into the ground, I hauled myself back to my feet using it as leverage. My spine retaliated with the movement, not recovered from the kick or the impact with the boulder. Ignoring the pain, I took a small vial of potion from my item pack and gulped it down in a second. The muscles around my spine warmed and the small cuts that covered me healed. Sephiroth stood a couple yards away, he was going easy on me. If this were a real fight, I would have been dead the second I let him cast Slow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Panting, and covered in dirt and sweat, I raised my sword at him. He half smiled and raised his hand. A black cloud of darkness surrounded his fingers and he rushed me. I ducked under his attempt to grab my face. Recovering from Slow was bad enough, I didn’t need Darkness on top of it! Steps behind me alerted my senses as a hound jumped to attack me. I slid underneath it and took it down with one swift move of my sword over the underside of its neck. It disappeared in a bundle of green orbs before it even hit the ground. Two more materialized in front of me, teeth bared, and claws ready to rip me to shreds. I kept my guard up for Sephiroth’s next attack as I fought off the hounds. As I took down one of the two, he slashed my shoulder, and kicked my feet out from under me. Nothing broke my fall as the back of my head slammed onto the ground before the rest of me did. The world around me blurred and bile threatened to hurl up my throat. Disoriented, I stood up on wobbly legs and shook my head to try and get my bearings. I saw the teeth of a hound coming towards me, but my body lagged in reacting to the oncoming attack. Its teeth sunk into the edge of my blade as I managed to block in time, but the weight of the hound added onto my dizziness knocked me back to the ground. I fought to hold it off as it gnawed on my blade, not caring that it’s own mouth was getting cut and bleeding. I got my feet underneath it and kicked it off of me, sending it into a small rock formation. Before I could take it down, the gleam of sunlight shining off of Sephiroth’s sword caught my attention as he struck down on me. I rolled from his attack, but didn’t get to my feet in time as he rushed me. I grabbed a handful of sand and threw it in his face, temporarily blinding him, and giving me enough time to get to my feet and swing my sword at him. Flawlessly, he dodged each attack I made toward him. Never once did I land even a scratch on his clothes. Not one hair flew out of place. He blocked my last attack, sending my blade to the ground, and backhanded me away from him. I slid along the ground as I landed and coughed as I tried to catch my breath. In an instant he was over top of me, his blade pointed right for my throat. There was no hesitation as he struck his blade down. Holding my breath, I closed my eyes as the tip of the sword got closer. I heard the crush of earth, my ear ringing as Sephiroth struck the ground near me with his finishing blow. I opened my eyes, seeing my frightened expression in the reflection of his blade. One centimeter away from me. That’s how precise he was. I gulped down the breath I was holding, and heaved my chest as I panted to calm my nerves. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With a long sigh, Sephiroth retracted his sword and ended the simulation. I still lay in shock on the metal floor of the simulator, my hands shaking as I removed my headset. He hung his headset neatly on the hook near the door and looked over his shoulder at me.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You were sloppy.” He said, “You’re too focused on waiting for an opponent to give you a chance to strike that you don’t make your own chances.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to me, the ends of his coat flowing behind him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“People are different from monsters. Monsters only have one thing on their mind when they attack you, and that is blind instincts to bring you down. They have no strategy when they fight, no training. People will outsmart you, learn your tactics, and use them against you. They’ll find every blindspot you have and take the opportunity to take you down when you least expect it. You need to work more on your strategy. Balance your defense from your offense. Make your guard an attack to stagger your opponent and bring them down before they have a chance to do the same to you. Otherwise, they’ll kill you without mercy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stopped next to me and held out his hand to help me to my feet. My head pounded with the rush of blood and lights flashed in my eyes. I held my hand to my head as if added pressure would make the pain go away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s enough for today,” He sighed, “Go to the infirmary and get that concussion treated. I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning. No later than eight. Understood?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With a weak, sarcastic smile, I saluted to him, “Yessir.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm.” He half smiled at me and entered the battle data into the simulator computer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Take it easy for a few days.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The nurse at the infirmary told me. I wanted to laugh in her face when she told me that. Not a day goes by where anything in my line of work was </span>
  <em>
    <span>easy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Hell, even my down time was me training. Zack and I would have squat challenges at the apartment some days out of the week. Him being the master of squats always did better than me. I shook my head as I held an ice pack to the spot that nailed the ground. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A few days..heh.” I chuckled as I walked down the stairs of the stairs of the 63rd floor to the recreation area. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Those of us who didn’t pack a lunch to work would take our breaks here. There were food shops and televisions to get caught up on the news of the world. The news always seemed to be the same though. The regular weather forecast for Midgar, criminals in the slums below the plate, and updates for the war with Wutai. Same old story, different day of the week. I ignored the TV and went straight to the food shop. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, if it isn’t coffee girl.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I scowled at the name. I was hoping that nobody would be around who was there for the morning disaster. As I turned to cuss out the guy who yelled to me, I stopped. Coffee stains still showing like a battle scar on his shirt, and his helmet sitting on the table. He smiled at me, short locks of brown hair blanketing his forehead and hanging over his ears. His smile made his jawline look more squared and freckles hid under the laugh lines and wrinkles by his eyes. He waved me over with enthusiasm. I hesitated, but joined him and his friend at the table. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This is the girl I was telling you about this morning. The one who was so into her coffee that she spilt it all over me.” He nudged his friend who only chuckled and kept his gaze on his cup of water, “Never woulda guessed that you were in SOLDIER. Who beat you up?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah..” I lightly laughed as I set down the ice pack, “Training accident. Nothing new really.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Training?!” He exclaimed before throwing his head back in laughter, short locks of brown hair flowing with the movement, “Damn if that’s just you after training, I’d hate to see you on a battlefield.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nervously, I rubbed the back of my head. Normally, the Infantrymen and SOLDIER would feud over everything. It was rare to find some who actually got along. Guess I got lucky this morning and spilt coffee on one of the nice ones. He nudged his friend again with a chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Could you imagine if they beat us to a pulp every training session? We’d be dead men for sure!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey so… about this morning-” I started.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Like I said, no worries.” He interrupted and smiled, “This ratty thing was due for a cleaning. You just gave me the motivation to finally get it done. I’m Noctis by the way, and this is my buddy Cloud.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.” Cloud said with a shy smile. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Senna, 2nd Class SOLDIER.” I smiled and held my hand out to shake theirs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, 2nd Class? So you must be some kinda badass right?” Noctis said in amazement.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I shrugged my shoulders, “Something like that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Noctis leaned towards me, hazel eyes burning with curiosity.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you work with Sephiroth at all? What about Petra Rogue? Are they cool? What about Petra? I heard she’s hot!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhh…” I stuttered, not sure how to answer any of his questions, or how much to actually reveal about SOLDIER.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe we shouldn’t ask her so many questions, Noctis. They keep a tight seal on SOLDIER info, she might not be allowed to answer some of those.” Cloud spoke up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Noctis sat back and crossed his arms over his chest with a pout.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah I guess you’re right. We’ll find out when we enlist next year anyway, huh Cloud?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You guys are gonna join SOLDIER?” I asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Cloud here is the one who’s itching to join. Said it’s been a childhood dream of his. I’m only gonna join so I can keep him out of trouble. Someone’s gotta look out for the little guy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Noctis grabbed Cloud’s helmet and twisted it around so the back of it covered his face. I chuckled as I watched the two bicker like they were siblings. It kind of reminded me of how Zack and I talk to each other sometimes. Cloud positioned his helmet back in the correct position, and held onto it so Noctis couldn’t twist it back around. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So Cloud,” I started, “Why are you wearing your helmet in the rec area? Nobody here is gonna judge you if you have helmet hair.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A slight blush crept onto his cheeks as he tapped his fingers on the helmet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, man. Show the other employees your pretty face!” Noctis clapped Cloud on the back for encouragement. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh..” Cloud hesitated.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah come one. I bet you’re not </span>
  <b>that</b>
  <span> bad looking.” I teased. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Noctis made a move to take Cloud’s helmet off, but Cloud shoved him away before he could get his hands on it. With a huff, he pulled off the helmet and set it on the table. His hair stayed surprisingly intact for wearing a helmet all day. Blonde and spikey. It suited his sharp facial features and pale skin. His eyes were so blue, they almost shined like a beacon. He was definitely better looking than most of the grunts that worked here. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not so bad is it?” I smiled, “You look better without the helmet.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He blushed and smiled down at his helmet. “Thanks.” He mumbled. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I took a quick glance at the clock, and stood up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well boys, it’s been a treat meeting you, but I have other arrangements to attend to.” I said, “I’ll see you around and hopefully not spill coffee on either of you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pleasure meeting you, Senna.” Noctis lazily waved from his seat and sent me off with a mock salute, “Until next we meet.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“See you later.” Cloud smiled. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I waved to them and bounded up the stairs back to the SOLDIER floor. If I hurried, I’d have enough time to say goodbye to Myrna before she left. During the elevator ride up, my stomach clenched and growled like a hungry Behemoth. I hung my head and groaned.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Dammit… I forgot to get something to eat!”  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Race</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The lounge area was shockingly empty this afternoon. On a normal day, there would be 3rds all over the couches talking about their daily training and help around the building. Some 2nds would be finishing up their work for the day and taking a breather until group training started for those who didn’t have a mentor. With nobody around, I had an entire couch to myself. I laid back on the worn leather material, kicking my feet up boots and all, and scrolled through the Shinra News folder. A few update messages from Reeve, the Director of the Urban Development Department, about reactor maintenance and sector buildings. Nothing interesting enough to delve into. Scarlet, of the Weapons Development Department, wants some volunteers from all branches of Shinra to test out some new materia her team has developed. Not interested in the slightest. The last group to test out her </span>
  <em>
    <span>new materia</span>
  </em>
  <span> had to get cleaned off of the walls because the result was too unstable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look comfortable.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My phone fell to the ground as I jumped to my feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s just you.” I said with disdain, “What do you want?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>White coat flowing behind him, the right hand cockroach of Professor Hojo came down the steps of the lounge area. He had a wicked smile just like his superior, like the world is his to play with and anybody he set eyes on was an experiment. Behind his back, Myrna and I called him </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ugly Pup</span>
  </em>
  <span> because of his disheveled ginger hair, sunken facial features, and bony body. His real name was Alexander. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rounding up the volunteers for Professor Hojo’s experimental training program.” He said, hands clasped behind his back, and green eyes locked onto me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I rolled my eyes and sat back on the couch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enjoy that. Now buzz off. You’re ruining my break.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexander hung his head and chuckled, “I seem to recall you being on the list of volunteers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… the hell I am! I’m not doing any kind of experiment for your psycho boss.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not wanting to interact with him anymore than I already have, I stormed off down the hall. He was right on my heels, not put off at all with me actively trying to get away from him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It makes no difference who we test the program with. It’s not like you’re our first choice.” He said breathlessly trying to keep up with me, “Your friend Myrna is on the list too, we could always just wait for her to come back and have her test it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stopped dead in my tracks. My blood boiling past the point of control. He took a step away from me as I gave him a murderous look for even mentioning my friends name. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you need me to do?” I spat through clenched teeth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He only smiled like the devil’s incarnate that he was, and led the way for me to follow behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hojo was waiting for us in the Training Room. He was just finishing up entering the data for his program into the simulator when we walked through the door. The only time Hojo would ever smile is when he had a devious plan for an experiment, and his grin spread from ear to ear as he looked at me. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How nice of you to join us, Senna Fair.” He gestured to the simulator, “Please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As I stepped into the simulator and grabbed a headset, I gave Hojo and Alexander a look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want it on record that I’m only doing this under duress. This isn’t my free choice to do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, of course.” Hojo waved off my statement and started the program. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I closed my eyes as I was thrown into the simulation. When the flashing lights faded from behind my eyelids, I opened them to see… nothing. It was dark. Very dark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there a reason I can’t see anything?” I asked into the blackness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The first test is how you rely on other senses besides your vision. Find the way out in the shortest time possible.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hojo said into my ear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” I put my hands on my hips and glared, “</span>
  <b>
    <em>The first test</em>
  </b>
  <span>?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Clock is ticking, Senna Fair. Better hurry.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With an audible groan, I put my hands in front of me and started walking forward. I could only guess that he put me in a maze, so I felt around for a wall. The ground crunched beneath my feet, like broken glass on a wooden floor. In only a few steps, I felt an object in my way. It came up to my shoulders, and as I felt around the top of it, I ventured that it was a platform. I flawlessly jumped on top of it and looked around for a light that would show me the way out. There was nothing but the vast darkness of wherever I was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ok so… absolutely no sight whatsoever. Feeling my way out of here will take me way too long. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Closing my eyes, I concentrated on listening for a clue that would lead me out. I heard a whistle of air blowing, like what you would hear as the opening of a cave gets closer. That could be the way out. Carefully, I walked along the platform towards the sound. It shifted slightly with each step, like it was balancing on something, or hanging in midair. Deciding to go about this the smart way, I took my sword off my back and used it to test the area in front of me. The metal clanged around as I positioned it every which way in front of me, searching for objects or sudden drops in the floor. The pressure of a timer being put on me made me walk faster. I turned and avoided objects and walls in front of me as my blade tinged off them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This test wasn’t so bad. It was practically child’s play. The cool chill of the rushing air gave me goosebumps as I got closer to it. I placed my sword back on my back and felt around for which way the air was going. It was almost deafening in my ears, but I couldn’t feel it anywhere. The area was a dead end, no way up over the wall, and no crevice to crawl under. But the airflow was </span>
  <b>here</b>
  <span>! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re warm.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Alexander said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My lip curled in disgust as Alexander spoke in my ear. I didn’t need his help. This was taking too long though, so I dropped to my hands and knees and felt around the ground. A fist sized hole near the wall blew my hand off the ground as I reached over it. There’s no way that this was the exit. It was way too small to even think about jumping through, and I couldn’t get my hands into it to dig it bigger. I stood up and felt above the hole, the aircurrent was strong enough to shoot my arm up, but I still didn’t trust it. There was an empty potion vial in my item pouch from training this morning. I fished it out, held it over the rush of air, and let it go. There was no sound of it breaking off of anything or hitting a top, so maybe this was the way out. Taking a big gulp of air, I stepped into the gust and braced myself for a possible impact. The air screamed through my ears as I shot up like a bullet, then it stopped, and I felt like I was floating in water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Seven minutes and twenty-seven seconds... hmmm.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hojo said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Not a bad time, but I expected better. Start the next phase of the test.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A white light surrounded me and I was thrown into the next simulation. They placed me in a plain concrete hallway. No doors or windows anywhere. The lack of anything made me feel almost claustrophobic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This next program will test your agility and reaction time. Good luck.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was it? Just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good luck</span>
  </em>
  <span>?! That didn’t tell me anything about what to expect. Not that they would tell me anyway, but still! I heaved a heavy sigh and decided to just walk down the never ending hallway. Something glinted in the distance. I put a wary hand on the handle of my sword, slowing my steps to a slower pace. The object flew through the hallway at lightning speed. All I could see was a metal blur as I dropped to the floor. It whizzed past my head with a loud whistle and continued down the hallway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I barely had time to react as three more blurs came screaming down the hall. They came in a horizontal line, blocking the middle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh screw this.” I said as I held my sword in front of me to block the objects. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second they came in contact with my blade, they exploded in a burst of fire. The impact of the explosion violently threw me down the hall. My arm scraped along the concrete floor as I attempted to stop from rolling over myself any further. Black soot covered my face and I was overcome with the smell of black powder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugghh… what was that?” I groaned as I got to my feet with a wobble, “Are you assholes seriously launching </span>
  <b>missiles</b>
  <span> at me?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You were warned that it was an agility test.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Alexander said with slight amusement tainting his voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I shook my head to try and stop the ringing in my ears from the explosions. They could have warned me all they wanted about what kind of test this was, that’s still no excuse to launch missiles at me! My sword laid up the hallway, smoke still rolling off the blade. Not wasting anymore time, I ran to grab it, avoiding the start of the missiles as they came one at a time towards me. There was no logic with how they were placed in the simulation. Almost like they were actively </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying</span>
  </em>
  <span> to hit me. Some would move sporadically around the hall, others would have a straight shot through. The random flow made it impossible for me to adjust and figure out a pattern to avoid them. I jumped, ducked, spun, and slid through them like a messed up game of limbo. My joints were aching after all the acrobatics, and my lungs were dying for me to catch my breath after running for so long. I stopped and slouched over to breathe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A new round of missiles glinted in the distance. There was no way to dodge the formation that came towards me. A giant, angry star shape blocked the way forward. In the mere seconds I had, I couldn’t see a logical way to dodge it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh you’re kidding me…” I breathed in disbelief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Putting my faith into a Hail Mary maneuver, I held my sword in front of me, and waited for the missiles to reach me. Body shaking, and sweat forming on my brow, my blade sliced through the on coming missiles. The shards of the cut missiles fanned out and collided with the others in the formation. The hallway exploded in dust, smoke, and fire. I dropped to the floor in the fetal position, covering my face and neck to protect them from shrapnel and flames. Fire licked my skin, burning off the hairs on my arms. Sweat evaporated before it even had the chance to run down my skin or soak through my uniform. When the fire stopped, there was nothing but smoke in the air. I coughed as it burned it’s way down my throat when I finally took a breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What a finish!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Alexander yelled, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Are you still alive in there? We can’t see.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… I’m alive.” I coughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“97 of 100 missiles avoided, if you even want to count that last charade.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hojo clicked his tongue, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Could have been better for SOLDIER, but I’ll accept it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey what’s this simulation even for? This is like a training program for 3rds or Infantrymen. I expected something more difficult from you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hallway disappeared in a blinding white light and I was standing in the simulation room again. Hojo and Alexander looked back and forth from the computer screen to their clipboards, scribbling like mad men and mumbling to themselves. I hung up the headset and walked out of the simulator. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that it?” I asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ignored me, still pouring over their data. I took a step closer and knocked on the computer screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was that the whole thing?” I asked with a tad bit of venom in my voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Hojo looked up from his work, scowl on his face, “Why are you still here? Go, we don’t need you anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His tone and attitude threw me through a short loop. I put my hands up and backed away like a scolded child.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t gotta tell me twice.” I said, “Later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, I walked out of the Training Room, leaving them to their devices. Although I was slightly curious why that simulation was so simple and needed a tester right then and there. Hojo had a reputation for creating the most haneus and gut wrenching programs in the entire Shinra company. That was nothing more than a first level training program to get your feet wet as a newbie. Hardly anything worth writing home about for a science genius. But what did I know? I’m just a SOLDIER grunt, not a scientist. </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Going down through the floors, the elevator filled to the brim with employees either going home, or dropping off packages or files on another floor. I picked loose skin off my lips with my fingers as I huddled in the corner. Crowded areas made me uncomfortable in the worst way. Usually I’m lucky enough to avoid the shift change crowd, either by being later than them or early. Guess today just wasn’t my day. Seriously though, there were at least twenty elevators in this building, why was this the one that gets overloaded? When the doors slid open, I took my chance and pushed my way out of the crowd onto whatever floor we landed on. Some gave me dirty looks as I pushed without a care, I just wanted out. When the door closed the crowd behind me, I finally felt like I was able to breathe again. Finding an empty elevator would be my cup of tea for sure. The one across from the one I came out of opened, and only one person stepped out of it, leaving the rest wide open with nobody else inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Perfect!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I practically jumped into it and hit the button for the lobby. Before the doors closed, I heard footsteps running towards it and someone yell, “Hey! Hold the door!” My hand reacted before I could think about it and I held the door open for whoever was running towards it. They must have been running late for something if they couldn’t pick one of the other elevators. He ran inside and also hit the button for the lobby. In a hurry to clock out I guess. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!” He said with a smile, helmet hiding his face, “Oh hey, you’re the girl from earlier.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He must have guessed from my confused look that I had no idea what he was talking about, so he took off his helmet. Unnaturally spiky blonde hair, and blue eyes glowing in the lights. I recognized him instantly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Cloud right? Fancy meeting you here. Where’s your buddy at?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s in one of the other elevators. It was way too crowded for me to get in.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I knew that feeling all too well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shift change, am I right?” I joked, “Why were you in such a hurry to get to this one though?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cloud scratched the back of his head and looked away from me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have a bet going.” He said shyly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s more of a race really. Last one to the BBQ place on Loveless Ave has to pay the bill. Noctis usually always wins.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm.” I tapped my chin a couple times as I thought of a game plan. “What are the rules of this race?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh-Well there’s not any rules really.” Cloud said with a bit of hesitation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ideas started forming in my head to get him to the restaurant as fast as possible. Noctis playing dirty by taking a crowded elevator would slow him down some since there would be many stops along the way, and I couldn’t just leave Cloud hanging. Nooo I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>involved</span>
  </em>
  <span> now since I held the elevator door open for him. He jumped when I clapped my hands together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright!” I yelled, “I’m gonna get you to that restaurant, Cloud, and Noctis is gonna pay for both of us!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blush crept onto his cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t gotta do that-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure I do. I held the door open for you, that involves me immediately.” I pushed the button for the parking garage, and gave Cloud a thumbs up, “I gotchya covered, Cloud.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door dinged open and I rushed out into the parking garage, Cloud close behind me. There were no details shared in the elevator on what I planned to do, so he was completely in the dark. We darted through the cars to a closed off area. I flashed my keycard to the scanner, and the doors opened. Adrenaline surged through me as six bikes sat parked in the dark garage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh..Senna?” Cloud said, “What exactly is your plan here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I turned to him, my eyes practically burning with excitement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“These bikes are reserved for SOLDIER members. Some choose to use them all the time and ride them home and to work, but the rest of us leave them here in case we really need them. And we </span>
  <b>
    <em>really</em>
  </b>
  <span> need to use one.” I said quickly and hopped onto one of the bikes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cloud stood by the door, awkwardly looking around like he didn’t know what to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time’s wasting, Cloud. Hop on and let's go!” He looked the bike over, then looked back at me. I couldn’t tell if he was scared, or just didn’t want to ride with me, “Oh come on, don’t tell me you’re afraid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just not used to being the passenger is all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ohhh, well welcome to the world of tough and shit. Now get on. I won’t bite.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a sigh, Cloud put his helmet on and climbed onto the back of the bike. I started it up and revved the engine. For months I’ve been waiting for the right excuse to use this, even though I didn’t technically need one, why risk ruining a perfectly good bike just to come to work? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold on tight!” I yelled over the roar of the engine and took off out of the garage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The wind rushing past my ears and tangling my hair as it blew behind me felt amazing! I weaved in and out of traffic, not wanting to slow down for even a second. The day they trained us to ride these bikes, I knew I would be a speed demon. Cloud didn’t seem too disturbed as he held onto the back of the bike. Every now and then I would take a glance behind me to make sure he was alright. Stone faced and stiff, not in a worried way, but making sure he kept his balance and leaned the way I leaned so as not to knock the bike off balance. Clearly he knew how to ride a bike if he was being such a good passenger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A line of trucks blocked the passing lanes on the highway. None of them seemed like they were gonna be passing the other anytime soon, so I switched gears and hit the throttle to go faster. I weaved through the traffic to get to the end lane and as I came up on the trucks, I knocked it into high gear and rode along the edge of the wall. We were practically parallel with the top of the truck trailer. I could have reached out and signed my name on the dust if I wanted to. The driver honked his horn as I passed by him and settled back onto the road. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How you doing back there?” I yelled over the bike.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cloud was silent for a moment before saying, “Is this all the faster you can go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking my head, I smiled and sped the bike up as fast as it allowed me to go. He wanted to go fast? We would go fast. Vehicles passed by us in a blur. There was no way anybody even knew what was passing them by as we screamed down the highway. When I came up on Loveless Ave though, I had to slow down. Too many pedestrians around, and I wasn’t about to hit someone. I parked in front of the BBQ place and shut the bike off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we beat him. What do you think?” I said, looking back to Cloud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His face was tinted red from the onslaught of wind, but he had a smile on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we did.” He said, and took off his helmet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Moments later, a truck pulled up with Noctis sitting in the bed. He gave us an incredulous look as he hopped out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you get here before me?” He asked Cloud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I raised my hand before he could answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cloud told me about your little race, so I figured I would help him out and give him a ride.” I said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis looked quickly between the two of us and pouted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s so not fair!” He whined, “Using a SOLDIER to help you win a race, ridiculous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I climbed off the bike and walked to the restaurant doors, gesturing to Noctis behind me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cry to someone who cares. You lost, and I’m hungry.” I opened the door and turned back to them, “So let’s go. You’re paying for all of us!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cloud chuckled and walked into the building, Noctis following behind him mumbling complaints under his breath. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Day After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Usually the front door to the apartment would creek as you opened it. Tonight, though, I opened it extra slowly so as not to make a peep. Quiet as a mouse, as some old nursery rhyme would go. That was me, moving so slowly that even I could barely register my movements. I was like a snake, slithering into the apartment like I was hunting something. Only I wasn’t hunting, I was just making sure to not wake Zack. Time was a mystery to me at this point, so I had no clue how late I was coming in. After slipping off my boots and setting them, ever so carefully, on the mat we had to the right of the door, I twisted the doorknob and slowly put the door back into place. At least… that’s what I tried to do. Something got lost in translation between my brain and my body as I tripped forward and ended up slamming the door shut.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoopsie.” I giggled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a grunt and a shuffle from the couch. Zack sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and focused on me slouched on the door, holding the knob for dear life so I wouldn’t fall over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senna?” He lazily asked while stretching awake, “What time is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhhh… dunno. My phone died at some point? Is it even in my pocket… hold on.” I patted down every pocket on my cargo shorts, looking for the lump that was my phone. After a thorough search, I pulled it out of my back pocket and held it up to Zack with a cackling laugh, “There’s the bitch!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked at me with confusion, fully waking up from his nap on the couch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you… drunk?” He asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Drunk? Me?? Noooo!!” I stumbled away from the door, and caught my balance by holding my arms out like a bird, “Ok… maaaaybe I had something to drunk… drink. But I’m pff-fine! I have the late shift tomorrow and Se-Seph… oh fudge, why does he have such a long ass name… Se-fir-oth cancelled my training in the morning. He going on a </span>
  <em>
    <span>seeecret</span>
  </em>
  <span> mission to Wuthai. But you didn’t hear that from </span>
  <b>me</b>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My tongue felt like a giant lump of jello as I slurred my words. Zack crossed his arms and gave me a stern look. I took baby steps towards him and slapped his shoulder like an excited toddler. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not even old enough to drink, how are you sloshed?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah! It’s a funny story really. See, I was helping a friend who made a bet with another friend to get to the… food… place fastest, and we won. Me and the friend I was helping. So he owed the both of us some yummy BBQ dinners. You’d like them! The tall one… well, they’re both kinda tall actually. The asshole one with the smart mouth, you’d like him. He’s witty and funny. Kinda like you on a good hair day.” Zack held a hand to his head to check his black spikes. “And the other one, blonde spike, he’s kiiiinda quiet. But a good quiet! Like you could have a whole conversation with him quiet, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>listens</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He squinted his eyes and looked around the room like he was trying to make sense of what I was saying. Blurry spots popped up in my line of sight, making me furiously blink my eyes to make them go away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None of that explains how you got to this situation though.” Zack lightly massaged his temples. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah. I didn’t get to that part did I?” I laughed, “Do we have food? I’m starving.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hobbled my way into the kitchen, nearly tripping over the one rug we had in there as I fell onto the fridge. The cool air smacked me in the face as I stuck my head inside to search for snacks. Considering the fact that we didn’t grocery shop much, our snack supplies were limited to a carton of milk (which might have expired by now), two apples (not sure when we bought those, but who cares), and an unopened pack of single sliced cheese. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm.. none of this looks good.” I said as I slammed the fridge shut and searched the cupboards, “Ah HA!!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like an angel sitting before me, a heavenly glow surrounding it, the mother of all snacks. A temptress of cupboard foods made by Lucifer himself. The perfect midnight, or anytime, snack. My mouth salivated as I picked up the container and cradled it like a newborn. There was whispering, which might have been me if I’m gonna be honest, of sweet nothings to the container. I fished around the drawers in the kitchen for what I would need to devour the golden chalice of foods. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the hell are you doing?” Zack asked from the doorway as he shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I clumsily sat myself on the counter and popped open the lid. With my weapon of choice, I dug into the container, putting a giant glob of the nectar of the gods into my mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmmmmm.” I smiled in ecstasy, “Peanut butter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zack took the container out of my hands as I downed another spoonful. I pouted like a toddler, falling to the floor in a heap of drunken stupor as I tried to grab it back from him. He set the peanut butter back on the counter and squatted down to my level as I tried to sit up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can have it back when you tell me what happened tonight.” He said slowly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My head suddenly felt too heavy for my neck to support. The cupboard would have to do to support the heavy thing while I explained my night to Zack.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The smarth mouth ass bought me the drinks.” I slurred, barely keeping my eyes open, “He owned us food. Us being me and spike blonde. Then food turned into drinks and I won.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Won? Won what?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My eyelids getting heavier and heavier, I managed to blurt out one last sentence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y’know… the thing that you win at.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whatever time it was when I woke up, I didn’t know, nor did I care. All I know is that my morning did not start off in the ideal way. My head was pounding, and everything was still spinning. The only good thing to happen when I rolled out of bed was finding a bucket laying there with a bottle of water next to it and a note. After hurling my guts, which tasted oddly like peanut butter, I sipped the water and picked up the note. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You tied on a good one last night, sis. Unlike you, I have the early shift so I won’t be here to make fun of you with your first hangover. Drink lots of water today! </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~your loving older brother</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>PS: PLEASE don’t puke on the floor, that’s what the bucket is for!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmmm…” I groaned as I crumpled up the note and tossed it to the other side of my room. It felt like my brain was trying to break out of my skull, I lightly massaged my temples to try and relieve the pressure. "This is gonna be a long day."</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everything was too bright in the recreation area. I could hear the lights above me buzzing as the electrical current surged through them. Even hiding my face in my arms did nothing to calm the pounding headache that I still had. A bottle of water and a large cup of coffee sat in front of me, I had only been taking sips out of each of them to calm the churning of my stomach. The table shook slightly as someone sat down next to me. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There she is!” A deep voice bellowed in my ears, “The princess herself. How are you feeling this morning, your highness?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have to talk so loudly?” I groaned, not taking my face out of my arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis laughed loudly and slapped his hand on my shoulder. The sudden jerk of my body had my stomach threaten to hurl everything up again, and I sat up straight in case I had to run to the bathroom. A knife like stab pained the back of my eyes as the light flowed into my retinas. I squeezed my eyes shut and put a wary hand to my forehead to rest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn,” Noctis chuckled, “You look like shit.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I glared at him through my fingers, “What even happened last night?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t remember? Oh-ho-ho allow me to paint you a picture of the night's events!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>
    <em>Quietly</em>
  </b>
  <span>, please…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slid his chair closer to me, the legs squealing against the floor as he did so. Without a care in the world, he draped his arm over my shoulders, and leaned in close. Thankfully, he talked in a low voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Picture this, it’s eleven o’clock at night. After a nice dinner that I humbly paid for, the three of us wandered across the street to the best bar in town. It was brought to my attention that you and Cloud weren’t of age to be drinking there legally, so I took solo trips to the bar while you two sat in a corner surrounded by people. Cloud, being the gentleman that he is, only had one drink with me. Said something about being the sober help home or whatever. But </span>
  <b>you</b>
  <span> my friend, you fell in love with those drinks, the fruity ones mostly. You and I threw ‘em back like we were old pals that hadn’t seen each other in a decade. Oh man, I’ve never seen someone drink like that before, and I know a lot of people. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I think around one in the morning, you started to feel sick and disappeared for a few minutes. We found you out back in the alley puking your guts up. Now, I thought that was gonna be the end of the night right? Nooo, no no no, you wiped your chin and demanded another round! I obviously  couldn’t say no to that, so we hauled you back inside where you challenged me to a shot game. Fifteen shots in five minutes. Of the </span>
  <b>hard stuff</b>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My stomach flipped in protest as I vaguely remembered taking shot after shot of that burning liquid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You beat me by half a shot! Then you stood on the table, deemed yourself royalty of whiskey, and fell backwards onto poor Cloud. You’re lucky he was still willing to help you get home!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fuzzy images flashed through my mind like a series of bright lights. There was no rhyme or order to them, just blurry faces, lights, and the sound of glasses clapping together. Trying to force myself to remember just made me feel dizzy and more nauseous. With a groan, I slumped to the table and hid my face in my arms. Noctis chuckled at my hungover self. I picked my head up and glared at him through narrowed eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are </span>
  <b>you</b>
  <span> not sick and hung over?” I blurted with annoyance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Years of practice, young one. Many years.” He replied with a wink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh…” I hid my face in my arms again, enjoying the darkness. Then my phone went off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I thought long and hard about whether I really wanted to pull it out of my pocket and stare at the bright LED screen. There was always the chance it wasn’t anything important, but then again… it was during work hours, and a call during work hours usually meant it was something important. I clumsily shuffled my phone out of my pocket and stared one eyed at the screen. Not a number I had saved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” I answered, putting extra effort into not sounding like I was about to fall over and die. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is Director Lazard.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The voice on the other end said dully, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Your presence is needed in the Briefing Room.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other line ended with a </span>
  <b>click</b>
  <span>. I shoved my phone back in my pocket and stood from the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Duty calls.” I said to Noctis, “Tell Cloud that I’m sorry about whatever happened last night. I’ll make it up to him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got it. Don’t chug your water. It’ll make the nausea worse.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I held my bottle of water up to him like I was praising him, “Good to know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a lazy wave, I made my way to the elevators. The doors opening with a loud ding, my head pounding worse thanks to the interior lighting, I shuffled my feet across the floor and entered the Briefing Room.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Lair of the Nightmare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The thundering of the helicopter blades drummed through my ears like a heartbeat. The cool class relaxed my stomach as I kept my eyes closed to ignore the height at which we flew. I hated flying. I hated heights. I had multiple reasons to feel sick to my stomach right now, and I wasn't about to pinpoint which reason was the main cause of it. For now I would just keep my cool by pretending the helicopter blades were the sound of the train pushing on down the tracks of Midgar. They sounded nothing alike, but maybe I could fool my brain into thinking the turbulence was the rocking of the train.</p><p>"Is she going to sleep through the entire excursion? I thought SOLDIER was supposed to be alert and ready for anything."</p><p>A long calming sigh blew out my nose. I didn't bother opening my eyes, or even moving, as Alexander went on about my <em>uselessness</em> as a SOLDIER.</p><p>"First of all, I'm not asleep." Venom practically spit from my teeth as I interrupted his complaining, "Secondly, this isn't an excursion. It's a mission that I hope will be over soon. Three, I can sense any coming danger miles before your brain could even comprehend that you're minutes away from death, so do me a favor and shut the hell up so I can somewhat relax until we get there?"</p><p>"Ohh.. testy." He clucked his tongue and proceeded to scribble notes on the scrap paper of his clipboard.</p><p>I could just break that damn thing over his head if I really wanted to. It wouldn't be hard at all, and it might even knock some sense into him. Too many witnesses though. Of all the people I could be paired with on a mission, why did it have to be <strong>him</strong>? I would have taken just about anybody in the Science Department to guard while they conducted their studies on the field. Why did they have to put me with Hojo's twin? Had I done something to upset the universe that badly? Am I being punished? And for the love of all that is good could we please just LAND ALREADY?!</p><hr/><p>It was quiet where we landed. After the helicopter silenced its blades, not a peep replaced it. While Alexander gathered up the supplies he would need, I kept a wary eye on our surroundings and my hand ready to grab my sword off my back.</p><p>"What do you think?" Noctis asked, stepping next to me, gun raised and ready to shoot down any approaching threat.</p><p>"It's too quiet." I murmured, "There should be birds chirping or <strong>something</strong>, but there's not even a whisper."</p><p>My heartbeat thundered in my ears to fill in the eerie silence that consumed us. Noctis was tense as well, not taking his eyes off the forest around us for a second. The perfect soldier. I fought to keep my breathing even as I gripped the handle of my blade.</p><p>"We shouldn't be here." I said.</p><p>Alexander pushed past me, a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder filled with who knows what, and his white lab coat trailing in the wind behind him. He stopped for a moment and looked back and Noc and I.</p><p>"Well, what are you standing around for?" He jabbed accusingly, "Make yourselves useful and carry that equipment over there!"</p><p>My eye twitched slightly as I contemplated leaving him in the wilds alone. Beside me, the blood vessels in Noc's temples extruded and I knew he was thinking the same thing. Nonetheless, I picked up a large metal case. The height of it on it's own reached my lower thigh, and it was heavy. We were only supposed to be here for a few hours, but Alexander seemed to have packed an entire laboratory with him. Noctis took it upon himself to carry two large cases and save the embarrassment of being pack mules from his fellow Infantrymen. Having the other two free to use their weapons would be a better advantage than none of us being able to take a proper shot on time. Carrying the heavy equipment through the dense forest made keeping a wary hand by my sword rather difficult.</p><p>Alexander led the way without a care in the world of what was around him, or who was trailing behind him carrying his baggage. Every few seconds, he'd adjust his square glasses as he glanced at the map meant only for his eyes, and mumble to himself while carelessly stomping on sticks and dried leaves. If we had any luck, his constant noise and carelessness would scare off any predators that didn't appreciate being surprised. I kept a wary eye on him as I trailed behind. My main job, as much as I hated it, was to keep him safe from any harm. The Infantrymen came by his suggestion, "<em>extra muscle</em>" he had said… yeah right, more like extra slaves to boss around.</p><p>"Hurry now, we're almost there!" He yelled above the already deafening silence, or what existed of it behind his two ton steps.</p><p>"And where is <strong>there</strong> exactly?!" Noctis stepped carefully over a fallen tree branch, huffing between his words.</p><p>With a sigh of aggravation, Alexander paused for a moment to glare back at his mules. His sunken cheekbones dripping with sweat and curly ginger hair matted to his forehead, "We would be there by now if you all weren't so slow. Pick up the pace!"</p><p>The scowl formed on my face before I could even think about controlling my expressions. White knuckles gripping the handle of the case, blue-green eyes targeting perfectly where I could throw the heavy equipment to knock his ass out, I took in a shaky breath to calm down. A slight chuckle and nudge to my elbow pulled me out of my sadistic thoughts and fantasies about the different ways I could torture the ugly pup stomping through the trees.</p><p>"If anything, we could say his death was an unfortunate tragedy and there was nothing we could do." Noctis chuckled, his hazel eyes devious and daring.</p><p>"If only it could be that simple." I mused with a sharp jab to his ribs, "Come on. Might as well please his highness."</p><p>As I followed after Alexander, I could have sworn I heard a hushed "<em>if that's even possible</em>" from one of the Infantrymen bringing up the rear of our party. I struggled to hold back my laugh.</p><p>Just as he said, it wasn't far ahead of us. Appearing through the break in the trees was a cracked mountainside. The opening at the bottom was large enough for a grown man to walk through with no issues, so towing Alexander's equipment into the mountain would be a walk in the park. He silently stopped our party with a gasp. Glancing between his map and the wall before us, he crumpled the sheet of paper and tossed it aside.</p><p>"You don't think we'll need that to find our way back?" My attitude sounded clear as day as I made no attempt to quiet it.</p><p>The ginger only glanced back at me, a "full of himself" smirk playing his features.</p><p>"If you had been paying attention, you'll know how to find our way back." He returned the attitude with more amusement playing in his voice then I had, "Or is that not in your area of expertise as a 2nd Class SOLDIER?"</p><p>A strong hand gripped my arm tightly to keep me from lunging at the scientist when he turned his back to me to enter the mountainside. Close behind me, Noctis chuckled.</p><p>"I wasn't serious about killing him, you know."</p><p>"I might have been." I said with venom, never taking my eyes off the spot Alexander disappeared into, "You can let go of me though."</p><p>There was a slight hesitation as he released my arm from his firm grasp. I took in a quick calming breath through my nose and looked at him over my shoulder.</p><p>"I'm alright." I said, "The sooner we get this over with, the better."</p><p>Wasting no more time, I lead the others into the crack in the mountain. Cracks from the top allowed the sunlight in with brilliant beams of white light that reflected off the grey stone and lit up the entire cavern. There was no use for flashlights in here. The area was spacious, like the mountain had grown over a city long since forgotten to time and ruin. Nothing remained but dust and stone. Despite the size of the cavern, I felt closed in and struggling to breathe. There was a heaviness in the air that weighed down on my shoulders. Something was not right about this place, I could feel it with every part of my being. I set down the heavy equipment case near Alexander's forgotten bag. He scurried about the area taking samples and laughing to himself. The spitting image of his superior, mental instability and everything.</p><p>Noctis and his team set down their equipment, their faces showing how uncomfortable they were inside the mountain.</p><p>"Keep your weapons ready." I said quietly to them so I didn't disturb Alexander's already manic behavior. They nodded to me and slipped their guns from their shoulders and held them calmly, but ready to fire if need be.</p><p>My attitude switched to work mode. All of my training was flashing through my body as I stayed hyper focused for any approaching danger. Alexander seemed none the wiser to the growing sense of trepidation surrounding us. I didn't want to bring my voice above a whisper as I approached him and interrupted his work.</p><p>"What are we doing here, Alexander?" I asked quietly.</p><p>He scoffed at me, pausing from scraping remnants of ancient minerals from the cavern wall.</p><p>"Do they teach you nothing in SOLDIER?" He mocked, then heavily sighed when I only blinked and didn't reply to his insults, "This is the Nightmare's Lair! The oldest cavern in our history, home to one of the most ruthless beasts known to man!"</p><p>"That's comforting." Noctis stated dryly, "So why are we here acting like there's nothing dangerous nearby?"</p><p>Alexander rolled his eyes and spoke slowly as if we were all children in a classroom and he was the teacher.</p><p>"To study the entity of course. You can't retrieve samples from a picture or video, noo no… I need the creature alive to study it."</p><p>I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and scowl in disgust. There was no being safe from the Shinra Science Department, not even the most ancient of creatures. If they catch word of the existence of a rare creature, you can be sure that Hojo will send his lackeys there to capture the poor thing for testing and experimentation. My heart ached for all the beings trapped in that lab. To experience that torture every waking moment of their lives without a sense of peace would be a terrible existence to live, and it sickens me to my core that I'm going to be apart of some poor things torture after living in solitude for so long.</p><p>"What's the plan then?" I asked with a regretful sigh.</p><hr/><p>The plan was simple, while also being suicide. The Infantrymen and myself were given glow sticks and earpieces to communicate, and we were sent into the darkness of the cavern where the sunlight didn't reach while Alexander set up his testing equipment and containment for the creature once we subdued it. Noctis and I outwardly expressed our concerns about being used as bait, but by point of authority, we were overruled.</p><p>The illuminated green glow of the glow sticks was barely enough to help me see a foot around myself. The darkness of the cavern swallowed my companions whole as we separated, their glow sticks merely an illusion in the distance.</p><p><em>"Tell me again, <strong>professor</strong>, why we can't use a regular flashlight?"</em> Noctis said over the radio putting heavy sarcasm on professor.</p><p>Static crackled in my ear for barely a second, and I could only imagine Alexander on the other end sighing and mumbling to himself about having to explain to us a second time why the glow sticks were so important. Noctis surely knew why they were important, if anything he only asked to get a rise out of Alexander for his own amusement.</p><p>
  <em>"The Mare thrives in darkness. Using a flashlight will only make it remain hidden in the shadows and we'll never capture it. The glow sticks aren't direct light that will frighten the creature. Don't ask again because I will not go through this anymore. You know what you have to do, so do it and bring me my Mare."</em>
</p><p>From a distance, I could hear a faint chuckle from Noctis. I rolled my eyes with amusement and continued on my way through the inky blackness of the cavern. The feeling of dread and danger had never left me, even with the comedic relief here and there. My instincts remained focused on everything around me. The light drips of condensation on the rocks, pebbles shifting and crumbling from above. I heard everything, even though I couldn't see it. Time seemed to slow down in the darkness. My fingers kept an iron grip on the handle of my sword, ready to unleash it to ward off any oncoming danger. I didn't fear the dark.</p><p>"Com check." I pressed the small button of the earpiece connected to my radio, "Every one ok out there?"</p><p><em>"All good here."</em> Noctis replied through the static.</p><p>
  <em>"Same with me."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No sign of anything yet."</em>
</p><p>"Copy that. Any sign of danger, light off your flares. Do not engage this thing on your own. Avoid it as long as possible until backup gets to you." I ordered.</p><p><em>"I like this bossy side of you, Senna. It's very... dominatrix."</em> Noctis chuckled.</p><p>"Don't push it, Noc." I said, failing to hide the smile in my voice.</p><p>In an odd way, Noctis reminded me of Zack. They both had the same carefree attitude and excitement for everything. When he wanted to be, Noctis would be serious, but only if the situation called for it. Him and I had only been on one other mission before, and he definitely had leadership skills and enough courage to become a promising member of SOLDIER. He's mentioned to me before that he was content in the Security Department, but Cloud constantly talking about enlisting for SOLDIER tied his hands. Cloud was lucky to have a friend like him who was willing to watch his back, even if it meant stepping out of his comfort zone. Another quality that him and Zack shared.</p><p>A blood chilling scream pulled me out of my thoughts. The shriek echoed off the walls, giving no specific direction it started from. I stopped dead in my tracks, not yet releasing my blade, but stood in a fighting stance.</p><p><em>"Did you guys hear that?" </em>Noctis asked over the com, all jokes lost from his tone, <em>"Wan, Xander, come in? You guys alright?"</em></p><p>
  <em>"I'm here."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I hear footsteps up ahead, I'm gonna go check it out."</em>
</p><p>Panic struck my chest, and I hurriedly hit the com button.</p><p>"No! Don't go on your own!" I yelled, "Wait for one of us to get to you, what's your position?"</p><p>Silence. Not even an ounce of static from the other end.</p><p><em>"Xander, check in. What's your position?"</em> Wan asked in a slight panic.</p><p>
  <em>"Th-... g….s….it…."</em>
</p><p>"Repeat your last. You're breaking up."</p><p>Static… then-</p><p>
  <strong>"AHHHH!"</strong>
</p><p>The scream echoed all around me, sending chills up my spine, and filling me with anxiety. That was a scream of death.</p><p><em>"Xander!"</em> Noctis yelled over the radio, <em>"Xander, come in! Xander! Damn it!"</em></p><p>"Give me your positions!" I ordered, "Nobody take this on alone!"</p><p><em>"I'm on the north-east side."</em> Wan replied.</p><p><em>"South-west corridor."</em> Noctis replied with shaky breath.</p><p>Wan was closer to my position. If I could meet up with him first, we could get to Noctis and be safer in a group.</p><p>"Stay where you are, Wan. I'm heading to you."</p><p>
  <em>"Copy."</em>
</p><p>I cracked another glow stick, hoping the illumination from two of them would help me see better as I ran through the darkness to the Infantryman. My only hope was that I got there in time to keep him safe against this… thing. Green light reflected on the stone walls ahead of me. Almost there, but something was wrong. When I reached the light, there was no sign of Wan anywhere. Not a peep.</p><p>"Wan!" I yelled into the darkness.</p><p>A loud gasp behind me startled my senses. I pulled my sword from my back and nearly took off a frightened Wan's head as he held his arms up in surrender. His skin was clammy and nearly glowing white in the green illumination, like he had seen a ghost. A stream of blood ran down his face, an angry gash of claw marks ripped open his cheek and forehead. He tried to speak between gasps, but couldn't calm down enough to get the words out. I dropped my sticks and reached for him when an unseen force yanked him into the darkness where all I could hear was a blood curdling scream and a crunch of bones.</p><p>My heart thundered in my ears as I stared into the darkness. There should have been more of us on this mission, or a 1st Class SOLDIER. We were severely unprepared and outmatched.</p><p>"Wan…?" I whispered to the void, not expecting an answer.</p><p><em>"Senna, where are you? Is Wan ok?"</em> Noctis panicked into the mic.</p><p>With a trembling hand, I pushed the button for my com.</p><p>"Wan is… gone." I said breathlessly and gulped down a lump of air. My throat was dry, my tongue stuck to my mouth like velcro. The image of Wan's terrified expression would haunt my dreams for years.</p><p>
  <em>"Head south, Senna. I'm heading your way."</em>
</p><p>"He was right in front of me…" I whispered to myself, "He was right there."</p><p><em>"Senna! Do you copy?!"</em> Noctis yelled.</p><p>"I… I copy. Heading south." I stammered.</p><p>Turning on my heel, I took two steps towards Noc's position, when a pair of golden eyes appeared in front of me. My breath caught in my throat as the creature stared me down. Moving slowly, I pushed my com button.</p><p>"Noc," I breathed, "I'm in trouble."</p><p>Before he could reply, I took my flare from my belt and lit it. Brilliant white light lit up the area around me like a beacon in the night. The creature didn't seem disturbed by the sudden brightness, and approached me. I stepped back as it stepped forward, wanting to keep my distance from it for as long as I could. Two bare legs stepped into the light, skin as white as paper. Before I could blink, a woman stood in front of me, her face blank as she stared at me with her golden eyes. She was beautiful, skin as fair as a child's, high cheekbones and a slender jawline. Her hair was as golden as her eyes, blanketing her shoulders and swaying with each step by her navel. My steps halted as my back came into contact with the rock behind me. Still she stepped towards me, a smile forming on her face.</p><p>I held my sword toward her, the blade pointed at her throat. Her smile faltered as the point cut her skin enough for a drop of blood to run down her chest. My breathing came in gasps.</p><p>"Stay back." I warned.</p><p>She tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled once more, wider, more devilish. Her face morphed into a hag as her lips spread to her temples. Jagged teeth poked from beneath broken lips, stained red with the blood of her previous victims. A low cackle came from her throat as she stepped forward, my blade disappearing through her and coming out the other side as clean as it was this morning. She stopped a food in front of me, that dismorphing smile still on her face. Golden eyes rolled into the back of her head, leaving white veiny eyes staring through my soul. Bony, clawed fingers shot towards me and wrapped around my throat. The wide grin opened like a snake about to devour its prey, and all I saw was a mouth full of teeth.</p><p>I screamed as darkness swallowed me.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. What Happens in the Dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There was no care for those in his path, no polite “excuse me” or “pardon me” as he pushed, shoved, and threw down anyone who was unlucky enough to be in front of him as he ran to the infirmary. Plenty of Shinra employees glared at him as he passed and helped up the ones who had fallen. They all mumbled obscenities under their breath, none that they would dare say to his face given his frantic attitude at the moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zack had gotten the call this morning from Kunsel. There had been an incident, Senna’s mission had gone wrong, and she was unresponsive. That was all the information he was given because that’s all that there was to give. His mind raced with questions. What had happened, how bad were her injuries, who was involved with the mission, and more importantly… why was he not told sooner by the medical staff? Why did he have to hear the news from a friend who heard it through word of mouth? Why was he the </span>
  <b>last</b>
  <span> to know? A hoard of behemoths wouldn’t stand a chance against his raw temper right now as he marched his way to the Medical Ward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The medical staff seemed so calm as he barged through the door, none of them even flinching as he stomped to the front desk. They were like robots, mindlessly eyeing their clipboards and screens. The receptionist didn’t even glance away from her computer as he approached her desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have an appointment?” She asked dryly, completely void of emotion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No-” He stared, but was quickly interrupted by the robotic woman.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please have a seat over there and someone will be with you shortly.” Her speech was well practiced, like this is what she says all day long and just lacks the ambition to give any kind of emotion anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? No I need to-” Zack was stopped short again by the woman.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sir, if it’s not an emergency, I must insist you wait your turn to be seen.” Never once did she stop typing or glance away from the screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t understand, I need-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone will be out to see you in a moment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn it!” He yelled as he slammed his fist on the marble desktop. The receptionist gave her first human response since he’s been standing there by nearly jumping out of her seat. Her hand to her heart, she looked at him in shock like she had never had someone cause an outburst like his in her presence. “My sister is here! Senna Fair. Where is she?!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a couple of startled blinks over wide green eyes, the receptionist quickly typed Senna’s name into her computer and pointed Zack down the hallway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Room 616.” She said quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without so much as a thank you, Zack took off like a bullet down the hall. He stopped when he reached her room, controlling himself just enough to not burst open the infirmary door on the chance she was awake. Shaking hands opened and closed by his sides as he pictured the worst condition his little sister could be in. Kunsel didn’t give him any details on what he should expect to see when he got to her, and he was in such a frantic state that he didn’t even stop to think about what he might walk into. Standing outside the door wouldn’t give him any answers, that’s for sure. With a quick whisper of confidence to himself, Zack grabbed a hold of the lever for the door and opened it enough to peek his head in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senna?” He asked, hoping beyond hope she was awake to answer him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No such luck. Completely entering the room, he felt his heart drop to his stomach. It was a difficult sight to take in. She looked so frail and broken lying there. Tubes and wires connected to her at every angle, machines beeping and whirring like clockwork as they checked her vitals and helped her breathe. Various cuts and bruises marred her skin, the larger gashes were stitched and bandaged. Tears welled in his eyes at the sight of her and he took in one large hiccup to keep himself under control. Gulping back his sorrow, he pulled a chair next to the hospital bed and cautiously grabbed a hold of his sister's bandaged hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh Sen…" he breathed, "what happened to you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of Senna’s screams echoed through the cave, her voice breaking in agony and filled with terror. Noctis ran blindly through the darkness, following nothing but the sounds of his friend being tortured by the monster they were sent to capture. There was no thought or caution on his mind as the screams got closer. He could see the faint glow of Senna’s glow stick on the stone walls, shadows thrashing around the light. The muscles in his legs burned in agony as he pushed himself to run faster, fearing the worst if he got there too late. Silhouettes appeared closer and closer, the screams piercing his ears, and the most terrifying growls he’s ever heard were within his grasp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noctis readied his gun, but aiming in the dark was impossible. With a curse under his gasping breath, he ignored Alexander’s earlier warning and powered on the flashlight attached to his weapon. His heart nearly stopped in fear as he caught the brief glimpse of a ragged, ancient monster between him and Senna. The skin on the creature looked like leather, white and wrinkled. Eyes rolled back into its head, red veins protruding and angry. As soon as he saw it, it was gone, a wide fang toothed smile burned into his memory that would haunt him forever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Senna collapsed to the ground, still screaming and thrashing. Wide gashes covered her body, blood soaking through her clothes and staining the ground. She clawed at her chest and neck, tearing new wounds into her skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senna!” Noctis yelled, throwing his gun to the darkness, and diving to grab her wrists before she tore her throat open, “Senna stop! It’s gone!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tears ran from her eyes as she fought against him to continue her attack on herself. Terror flashed through her eyes and she thrashed in panic. Noctis had to pin her underneath him, kneeling on her arms to control her. Even with all of his weight keeping her down, he could barely keep her contained as she kept screaming and thrashing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Senna!” He yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s inside me!” Senna screamed, causing Noctis’s blood to run cold, “I can feel it! It’s inside me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wha-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In one quick motion, Noctis was shoved off of Senna and Alexander appeared in the light. He pushed a cloth over her mouth and nose. Her clawing and thrashing slowly stopped, and when her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she finally passed out, Alexander removed the cloth, throwing it to the abyss. He straightened his lab coat as he stood and adjusted his glasses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get her up.” He said, “We need to leave. Now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about the others?” Noctis asked, slightly frozen on the ground in shock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexander walked into the darkness, not paying any mind to the two members left on the team or if they were following him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re dead.” He said coldly, “Get her up and let's go. We’re done here.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Nightmares</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was dark. Not a hint of a light in sight. I’ve been here before, but nothing seemed familiar. If my eyes were open or closed, I couldn’t tell. There was a subtle </span>
  <em>
    <span>drip drip drip</span>
  </em>
  <span> of water falling from nearby and every movement of my feet sloshed around in ankle deep water. The air had no smell to it, but the moisture and chill in the air was enough for me to know that I was underground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” My voice echoed through the dark cavern, soft and frightened, “Is anybody there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence. Eerie quiet, aside from the splash of water around me. I reached behind me to keep my hand ready to pull my sword from my back, only to find that my blade did not exist. I was unarmed and alone, in the dark, with no idea where I was or how to get out. Taking a deep, calming breath, I walked forward. If I could find a wall, maybe I could follow it to a way out. The walk felt like hours and I found no wall to guide myself with. Lost and unarmed in the dark was not my ideal position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hello?!" I called out once more, my voice slightly desperate for a reply. "Please! Is anybody there?!"  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a shuffle above me. Dirt and pebbles splashing into the water. The only sign I had that I was no longer alone, and the growl that accompanied it told me I was not in good company. A shiver went down my spine as I recalled the sound of that growl before. Quick images flashed across my mind as I recalled the Nightmare in the caves, and my blood ran cold as it shuffled above me. I could almost sense the smile on its face as it approached. Without a second thought, I ran. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No weapon. No light. Not alone. I had no other option but to run. Even being a SOLDIER, you have to know when a battle is a lost cause. Water splashed up my legs with each step. The entity kept pace above me, claws scraping on rock, and growling almost like it was laughing as it hunted. My heart pounded in my chest. It was getting closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just keep running. Don’t stop</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I repeated over and over in my head, my lungs burned too much to voice even a whisper. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Keep running!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no end to this cavern! I ran for, what felt like miles, twisting and turning to try and shake off my tail, and hopefully find an exit. I could almost feel the claws scrape the back of my neck. A loud splash in front of me forced me to skid to a halt. It was right there, in the darkness. My harsh breathing shook my body. A blunt force took out my ankles and sent me crashing to the ground in a heap. Before I could recover, I felt the claws on my chest. They walked their way up to lightly scratch my neck and chin. The creature sat on my chest, its weight no heavier than a dog, but its aura felt much more deadly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should have run faster.” It hissed in my ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a flash of light, revealing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth inches from my face. The jaw unhinging like a snake, and in an instant, it swallowed me.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>I woke with a long gasp for breath. Cold sweat dripped from my chin to the damp neckline of my tank top. My body trembled with each gasping breath I made. It's been two weeks since I was let out of the infirmary, and every night since I came home I've had that same nightmare. I haven’t slept in my room for the last few days, there was an eerie feeling in there now, so I took to sleeping on the couch. I swung my legs over the edge with an audible “umph”. Every bone in my spine cracked with the movement to stand up. My heart still pounded in my throat after I had calmed my breathing. Zack’s muffled snores sounded from his room down the hall, I was slightly comforted by the fact that I hadn’t woken him with my gasping. He’s been extra worried about me, even going so far as to “supervise” my recovery training, much to Sephiroth’s displeasure. I just wanted things to go back to the normal type of crazy and pretend like what happened in the cave never existed. Even though I didn’t remember much of it, and nobody would tell me the details of it. Something that I found oddly suspicious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing damp strands of hair behind my ear, I sighed and walked to the door. “I need some air.” I mumbled to nobody and stepped out into the cold air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The nightlife of Midgar was an entirely different entity from the day. The streets were quiet and empty, save for Loveless Ave which was always busy with something. When the bars closed down though, the streets got quieter with the incoherent mumbles of the drunk patrons. I'm not surprised that that's where I found myself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fountain was my favorite place to relax, no matter what. It was wide and open and all I could hear while standing next to it was the rushing of water moving through the pumps. I laid on the edge and watched the water flow down. I could have fallen asleep right there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Senna?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Startled, I sat up and looked toward the voice. "Cloud! You scared me." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry." He chuckled in reply, "What are you doing out here?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just…" I laid back down on the fountain edge, "trying to relax. Why are you out so late? Noctis need a buddy to walk him home from the bar?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You didn't hear?" Cloud's shoulders slumped as he stopped his approach to the fountain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I sat up again, motioning for Cloud to come sit next to me. "Hear what?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Noctis was put on a mandatory leave and house arrest." He said sadly as he sat down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?!" I yelled, catching the attention of some passing residents. I lowered my voice. "What happened?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wasn't there for it, but the day after you both got back he went after Alexander. He beat him bloody and kept yelling that it was his fault you were injured. It took four security officers to pull him off." Cloud hung his head as he told the story, "He was supposed to have the night rounds for a few weeks so the rest of us in the security department split it up between us to cover him."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's really nice of you guys to do. Wish I could have been there to see the ugly pup get what's been coming to him for a long time." I leaned back and chuckled a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Have you been feeling alright?" He asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hesitated before I answered. All things considered, I felt fine. Physically I was ready to get back to training and missions again, mentally… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ever since I woke up in the infirmary something felt very off. It was like I had an extra weight being carried around on my chest, and that something was always peering over my shoulder. Also that same haunting nightmare that came to me every time I closed my eyes. Cloud sensed my hesitation as he studied my face. I hoped he didn't see the internal struggle I was fighting with, but nonetheless I smiled at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I've been feeling good. I go back to normal training tomorrow and I've been cleared for regular missions again." The one bit of good news I got all week. All I wanted was for things to go back to normal again. Cloud smiled back at me, not making any indication that he knew I was struggling with something. "What about you? The initiation for SOLDIER starts soon right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. It does." There was a shift in Cloud's eyes. Another wave of sadness washed over him as his shoulders slumped. "Noctis is gonna miss it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I put my hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He'll always have the next time. You on the other hand are gonna do great."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You think?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know. I can tell you're strong, Cloud. You just have to believe it too. Come on, say it out loud!" I got up and stood in front of Cloud, pulling him up as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Um.. what?" He asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Say you're strong. That you can beat any obstacles that get in your way. Go on, say it!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cloud awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his feet. Honestly it was adorable how shy he was sometimes. I playfully pushed his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come on, you can do it!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh...mm.."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His jaw tensed, like he wanted to shout to the rooftops, but there was something holding him back. With a laugh, I climbed on top of the fountain edge and cupped my hands around my mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Listen up everyone! This is Cloud and he's gonna be the greatest SOLDIER to ever live!" I shouted, getting the attention of the small groups roaming around Loveless Ave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Senna!" Cloud pulled me down from the fountain, his face red from embarrassment. All I could do was laugh. After a moment, Cloud laughed right along with me. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <b>Strife!</b>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cloud seized and stood rigid as another officer rounded the corner. His helmet stayed strapped to his head, but the scowl across his face was clear as day. My only guess was this officer was Cloud’s superior. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does it look like break time to you?” The man scolded from a few feet away. I never understood the public spectacle the security department makes when disciplining their officers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks like you gotta book it.” I chuckled, clearly not intimidated by the officer standing just a few feet away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks that way.” Cloud had a slight shake in his voice as he hurriedly grabbed his helmet. Before he took off to approach his superior, he quietly said to me, “Do you need help getting home?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I laughed and tucked my hair behind my ear, “I think I can manage on my own. Thank you though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have my number if you change your mind.” He smiled at me, seeming to forget that he was about to get his head chewed off by his commanding officer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight, Cloud.” I smiled softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight, Senna.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“STRIFE!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I waved at him as he took off running to take his punishment. His superior didn’t talk loud enough for me to hear exactly what he was saying but I could make out a sentence </span>
  <em>
    <span>“flirt on your off time, not while on duty.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> To avoid getting him into more trouble, I made my way home, taking the longer route around them. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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